The latest draft of the House version of the Voter ID bill is circulating, and Election Committee members say state Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, who chairs the panel, is hoping to vote the bill out of committee as early as today.

What's in CSSB 362, as of now:
1.) Voter ID Education
-- Creation of a website detailing the new ID requirements.
-- Statewide education effort spearheaded by Secretary of State and the major political parties

2.) Election Worker Training
-- County clerks must provide at least one training session for election judges and clerks about "the acceptance and handling of the ID presented by a voter"

3.) Proper Posting
-- Election judges are required to "post in a prominent place" outside each polling location a list of the acceptable forms of photo and non-photo ID. (The bill specifies these notices must use at least 24 point font.)

4.) Exemptions for People Without ID
-- Voter can bring just their voter registration certificate if the voter has an affidavit showing they they don't have ID because he/she is indigent, a religious objection, 70 or older and never got a birth certificate, lives in a nursing home

5.) 2011 Phase-In
New voter ID requirements would begin with elections held after January 1, 2011. A previous version of the bill didn't phase-in new requirements until 2013.

6.) Requires Photo ID
--Includes driver's license, military ID card, passport, citizenship certificate with photograph, concealed handgun license, student ID card issued by public/private institution (with photo),

7.) Those Voting WITHOUT Photo ID cast PROVISIONAL ballot only
-- Bill lists utility bill, birth certificate, etc, as alternate forms of ID voters can use to cast a ballot. Those ballots will be provisional only, meaning they may be thrown out by a newly-created provisional ballot board.

8.) Reporting Back to Lege
Every January, the secretary of state will be required to submit a report to the lege regarding violations of the new law.

9.) $3.75 million for Voter Registration
This is less money than the previous version, which would have set aside $7 million for voter registration efforts. The latest measure calls for $3.75 million for voter registration and $3.75 million to help provide voters who don't have photo IDs with a necessary ID card.

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